I am convinced that courageous women can change the world. In this part of the digital 2.0 campaign, we want to share with girls around the world the experience of brave women who had put an end to war. In the following we ask girls never to be discouraged in life. Nothing is impossible to a brave woman, likewise, everything is possible when courage is as a weapon for changing the world. I witness a story of widowed women of my organization, “AVOC”, who in 2009 lived in Minembwe in the fizi territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There had been a tribal war between the Banyamulenge who are Tutsi Congolese people (livestock farmers) and the Bafuliru who are Bantu people (agricultural farmers). The war had started around a discussion on the subject of cows and land. A cow had gone astray grazing in a field but the owner of the land took his gun out and directly shot the cow. As soon as the man who owned the cow realized that she was shot, he also took out his AKA 47 and left to meet this cruel man from the village of Kakangara who had killed his cow.

Besotted with anger, the two men didn’t arrive at an agreement. One shot the other and the war broke out between the two neighboring villages of the Banyamulenge and the Bafuliru (Kakangara and Ntimbyangoma). This war spread around the area and became a war of settling scores between populations of these neighboring communities who had apparently lived in peace. All of the efforts put forth by the government and other mediators of civil society have not given good results. After Aril until July 2009, there was a daily battle. The leaders of the villages had met several times in order to negotiate for peace. Curiously, they closed the verbal dialogues by exchanging wheels. The students couldn’t study anymore, women couldn’t go to the fields or to the market. Men died, the women who dared go to the fields came back after having been raped. Everyone was scared. Thus the widowed women of AVOC- the association of widows and Christian orphans, had the courage to intervene. They organized a great crusage of Christian women in a mixed village of Kitumba where they had not yet had any armed battles. While the men of these two tribes fought, the women had gathered together to pray for peace and peaceful coexistence.

I personally accompanied them as an evangelist and secretary of their organization, AVOC. After many sermons from the pastors, they took to the floor to speak to the men saying: « we want unconditional and immediate peace, give us peace » in swahili : « Tunataka amani bila kungoja na bila shurti » Their speech, pronounced with determination provoked a great change in the spirits of men who were present a the conference. This was the first time women had the courage to directly speak to men. They decided to go educate other who were at the front. Some accepted and integrated into the national army in August 2009 and others laid down their arms. It was the end of that war… From this day, we have started to respect women because of their courage and their commitment. Nobody else was able to say no to that war if they had not been brave women. Where men have failed, brave women have succeeded.

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I am convinced that courageous women can change the world. In this part of the digital 2.0 campaign, we want to share with girls around the world the experience of brave women who had put an end to war. In the following we ask girls never to be discouraged in life. Nothing is impossible to a brave woman, likewise, everything is possible when courage is as a weapon for changing the world. I witness a story of widowed women of my organization, “AVOC”, who in 2009 lived in Minembwe in the fizi territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There had been a tribal war between the Banyamulenge who are Tutsi Congolese people (livestock farmers) and the Bafuliru who are Bantu people (agricultural farmers). The war had started around a discussion on the subject of cows and land. A cow had gone astray grazing in a field but the owner of the land took his gun out and directly shot the cow. As soon as the man who owned the cow realized that she was shot, he also took out his AKA 47 and left to meet this cruel man from the village of Kakangara who had killed his cow.

Besotted with anger, the two men didn’t arrive at an agreement. One shot the other and the war broke out between the two neighboring villages of the Banyamulenge and the Bafuliru (Kakangara and Ntimbyangoma). This war spread around the area and became a war of settling scores between populations of these neighboring communities who had apparently lived in peace. All of the efforts put forth by the government and other mediators of civil society have not given good results. After Aril until July 2009, there was a daily battle. The leaders of the villages had met several times in order to negotiate for peace. Curiously, they closed the verbal dialogues by exchanging wheels. The students couldn’t study anymore, women couldn’t go to the fields or to the market. Men died, the women who dared go to the fields came back after having been raped. Everyone was scared. Thus the widowed women of AVOC- the association of widows and Christian orphans, had the courage to intervene. They organized a great crusage of Christian women in a mixed village of Kitumba where they had not yet had any armed battles. While the men of these two tribes fought, the women had gathered together to pray for peace and peaceful coexistence.

I personally accompanied them as an evangelist and secretary of their organization, AVOC. After many sermons from the pastors, they took to the floor to speak to the men saying: « we want unconditional and immediate peace, give us peace » in swahili : « Tunataka amani bila kungoja na bila shurti » Their speech, pronounced with determination provoked a great change in the spirits of men who were present a the conference. This was the first time women had the courage to directly speak to men. They decided to go educate other who were at the front. Some accepted and integrated into the national army in August 2009 and others laid down their arms. It was the end of that war… From this day, we have started to respect women because of their courage and their commitment. Nobody else was able to say no to that war if they had not been brave women. Where men have failed, brave women have succeeded.

Thank you for your story. This story is very dramatic and poignant. It has an origin so simple, so odd and terrible... the cruelty of the man who killed the cow was a real testament to the sadness and cruelty that plagues your land. People are dealing with such hard times that anything can set off a terrible war! Your story gives a voice to this suffering.

The inspiration of women is a powerful thing. The passion of women who have conviction must have moved these men to change absolutely! That is amazing. It is also very frustrating to see people fighting with each other when we all need so much help -- not just charity or money, but the help of understanding, the help of compassion. Your ability to tell these stories will inform the world and the world will know your plight. This is the beginning of BIG CHANGE.

Dear McKinley,
Thank you for sharing this powerful story, which is certainly an inspiration to women and girls around the world! Your descriptions of how the events unfolded and the particular experience of women in the face of violence and conflict are very vivid and moving. The pivotal scene for me is when the women stood up and implored men to "give us peace." You mention that it was these words that made the road to peace and an end to the conflict possible because they provoked real change in the sentiments of the men who were gathered there. This seems to me to be an important lesson for peaces processes the world over. As you write, nothing is impossible when courage and conviction to change go hand in hand.